


Little Star

by Lafaiette



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Family Fluff, Fluff, Humor, Jaal sees a human baby for the first time and he adores it, Love, Newborn Children, Spoilers for Mass Effect: Andromeda, Spoilers for the "The Little Things That Matter" mission
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-27
Updated: 2017-04-27
Packaged: 2018-10-24 18:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,470
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10746975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lafaiette/pseuds/Lafaiette
Summary: Jaal is already a beautiful, handsome, marvelous man, but with a baby in his arms? He is absolutely perfect.In which Ryder and Jaal finally meet little David, the first human baby born in Heleus.





	Little Star

Podromos is precious to her, one of her successes that she allows herself to be proud of. It’s a symbol, the proof that the Initiative – and the humans – are strong and stubborn enough to live in Heleus.

After the two previous failed outposts, this one is more than a victory and she wants to enjoy every part of it.

So it doesn’t really surprise anyone when she asks Kallo to bring them to Eos and see how Bradley and his people are doing.

There are still some things they have to prepare before disobeying Tann’s direct orders and reach what appears to be Meridian and since this is probably going to be one of their most dangerous missions, Chloe wants to make sure things are okay in all the places they know.

They have already gone to Aya, Voeld, and Havarl, even finding the time to say hi to Jaal’s mother, then to Kadara and New Tuchanka. Their last stop was at the Nexus and now they are on Eos, its air clear, its sand finally not so scorching anymore.

To be completely honest, she has another reason to be on Podromos. Bradley and the colonists are her first priority, of course, just like the kett still lurking on this side of the planet, despite the destruction of their base.

But there is another person she really wants to meet here. The circumstances weren’t favorable enough before, but now they are and her curiosity, her desire to see the first human baby born in Heleus is too strong.

Now that she thinks about it, little David is a sort of pathfinder, just like her: a pioneer who will have to make the first steps in the unknown, unsure of what to expect.

He won’t carry the emotional baggage most colonists have on their shoulders, though: he never knew the Milky Way Galaxy and will never do. He will grow up considering Heleus his only home, with no old memories and old landscapes to keep him awake at night.

Not that Chloe feels that way: she misses the Milky Way, yes, she misses the Citadel and Earth, but she grew accustomed to this new home faster than she expected and she found out that others did the same.

And not just people who had good reasons to leave their old home behind: young, elderly, middle-aged people on the Nexus revealed to her that the memory of Earth or their old homeworlds doesn’t stop them from enjoying this new life and believing in it.

She agrees, even though she feels sorry for those like Liam, Suvi, and Kallo, who still cry in bed at night despite their new friends, new discoveries, new wonders this galaxy gave them.

She often wonders how things will be in a few years: she dreams of a future without kett and the pang in her heart every time she does that tells her how painful the angara’s lives have been until now; she likes to picture human and angara children playing together, then her minds add other alien kids too, a paradise of joy and understanding.

She likes to picture Heleus as a welcoming, comfortable, _safe_ place, its planets finally viable again, the Scourge kept in check, the Initiative working as it should.

 _‘Someday.’_ she thinks wishfully. If everything goes well on Meridian, then that dream might actually come true sooner than she hoped.

Jaal and Liam are coming with her today: they are both as interested in Podromos’ progress as her, although the latter shares that enthusiastic “we did it!” feeling with her, a personal sense of human pride for their accomplishment.

What Jaal feels is admiration and pride directed at _her_ : he sees and acknowledges the colonists’ hard work, but he can’t stop repeating how _she_ made this possible, as if he wants her to never forget it.

Perhaps that’s his intention: he wants to reassure her she is a great Pathfinder and leader, that she is making her dad proud too, that she’s got this.

It means everything to her and now there is something else she wants to share with him, an accomplishment perhaps even greater than the outpost.

“You never saw a human newborn, right?” she asks him as they walk out the Tempest, hand in hand. Everyone on Podromos knows they are together and it’s not like they ever hide it.

“Right. I…” Jaal blushes, giving her a shy smile. “I haven’t gotten to that part yet, while studying your species at the Cultural Center.”

“Remember Dr. Kennedy? She is here on Podromos.” She grins at him when he nods at her. “I contacted her before leaving the Nexus and she said she would be happy to show us the baby.”

Jaal’s face lightens up like the console of the Galaxy Map. Liam swears something under his breath and moves in front of them, while walking backwards.

“Shit, really?” His grin is even wider than Chloe’s. “First human baby of Heleus! That’s huge, Ryder, I gotta see him too!”

“I think the others will join us soon, so…” She smiles at the two men, squeezing Jaal’s hand. “Let’s hurry before it gets too crowded! I want to make all the funny faces at him without worrying about my reputation.”

“Do you…” Jaal stops, opens and closes his mouth to find the right words, then blurts out, faster than she expected: “Do you like children?”

She blushes too and nods. She knows why he’s asking her that and her answer clearly pleases him a lot.

“I used to babysit my neighbors’ child, when I was in highschool.” she says, smiling at the memories.

She isn’t really the greatest babysitter in the world, in her opinion – she tends to spoil the kids or panic when things go wrong and she always makes a mess in the house -, but she gets along with them well and she can understand them pretty fast. That always earned her praises, gratefulness, and a lot of personal satisfaction.

Maybe she is so good with kids in general – not including how much she spoils them and her alternative teachings, like “yeah, we can have a dessert-only dinner today” or “if a kid punch you, punch him back” -, because she is still a child too… sort of. She is definitely _young_ , though, and not really as mature and _adult_ as a real mom, so that probably helps.

“Babysit?” Jaal repeats, frowning in that adorable way that means he’s confused. “You used to… sit babies down?”

Liam does his best to hold himself back, but it’s too much for him and he bursts into laughter, while Chloe giggles and shakes her head, explaining:

“No, it means taking care of children for a short amount of time when their parents can’t. They pay you to do it.”

Jaal looks even more confused and even a bit flabbergasted.

“But… what about their relatives?”

“Sometimes they have none or they can’t take care of them either. Babysitting was sort of a necessary trend, back in the Milky Way.”

“Yeah, young people could earn something while just keeping an eye on some kids.” Liam shrugs. “And the parents could do whatever they needed to do without worrying about their children’s wellbeing.”

“I see.” Jaal stays quiet for a moment, then adds slowly: “It is a strange concept, though. Paying a stranger to make sure your children are safe. Angara families are so large you would never need to do something like that. The children are always taken care of, either by their siblings or other members of the family.”

“I know.” Ryder chuckles, patting his hand.

“And even if an angara was asked, under incredible circumstances, to protect the children of another family, they would do so out of the goodness of their heart, not greed.” Jaal grumbles, shaking his head. It seems this topic is particularly delicate and important for him.

“I know, Jaal.” she repeats, her voice softer, gentler. “Babysitters didn’t always do it to earn money, though. Most were happy to watch over the kids for free, especially if they knew them well.”

“Were you?” he asks, new curiosity shining in his eyes, and she chuckles, nodding.

“Yeah. The kid I used to babysit was pretty awesome, it was like having a little brother. Much younger than Scott, anyway.” She kicks a small pebble on the ground, blushing a little because Jaal’s gaze has become intense and sweet. “I often refused to take the money, especially if his parents had had a bad time at work.”

“Wow.” Liam whistles, hands in his pockets. “I’m sure I never did that. Needed that allowance too much.”

“You are a greedy person, Kosta.”

“I am.” he confirms, playing along, his tone as solemn as hers. “Can’t upgrade your omnitool without money.”

“I… I didn’t mean to offend.” Jaal suddenly says, panicking. “I wasn’t implying you were greedy or wicked for taking that money. It was a _job_ , after all.” He swallows, turning to Chloe with big, sad, eyes. “Darling One…”

“Oh, Jaal!” she laughs, pulling him into a hug. “I know what you were trying to say. And I understand, it must be a really weird idea of a job for an angara.”

He tightens his arms around her, humming affirmatively, and he brushes his mouth against her temple, mumbling sheepishly: “Maybe, but I can see why your people needed to do it.”

“Don’t worry, big guy.” Liam says. “Also, we won’t be needing babysitters for a long time…” His grin turns smartass and smug, causing Chloe and Jaal to blush. “Unless we start procreating or adopting, of course.”

Jaal’s bioelectricity increases at those words, causing Chloe’s hair to stand up, and he lets out a timid sound. Her face is so flushed red she looks like she’s having a stroke, but she manages to keep her face somewhat blank.

“Right.” she croaks out, before grimacing. Of course her voice would betray her first.

Liam snickers without shame, proceeding forward to give them time to recover.

It will take them a while, though: Chloe is sure scientists would find a new shade of red on her face and Jaal’s static is going wild, sending pleasant vibrations all through her body. She feels tingly, like a bubbly drink.

“Well…” she chuckles nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before sliding her arm around Jaal’s waist again. She finally overcomes her shyness and embarrassment and looks up at him, wondering what she will see on his face.

Love. Tenderness. And something else too that she can’t quite recognize, something like… longing? Desire?

It makes her heart race faster and she thinks they _absolutely_ have to return from Meridian in one piece.

“Adoption sounds pretty awesome.” she quietly says, moving her eyes down to Jaal’s Rofjinn. She smooths a wrinkle on the collar, clearing her throat. “Conception might be a little harder. Between humans and angara, I mean.”

Jaal’s bioelectricity is soaring to so high levels, he could fuel a power station with it. Her arms are a little numb and her hair must be quite the spectacle from afar, but she doesn’t care.

The look he’s giving her now is the most beautiful, _intense_ thing she ever saw. It’s like he’s looking right into her soul, her inner core, and she is lost in the galaxies swirling in his irises.

“But…” she adds, voice even softer, almost dreamy. “I met an angara woman on Aya and she was scanning me and she said humans and angara are pretty similar and she wondered…” She stops, because Jaal’s hand is now cupping her cheek and he rested his forehead against hers, never breaking eye contact.

“She wondered… how her grand-grandchildren will look like and I…”

Now Jaal’s current is steady, less explosive, although she can still sense how excited he is. She has learned to read it pretty well and can now recognize what the little differences and sudden changes mean.

He is thrilled, happy, probably even surprised, and a smile is forming on his lips. She smiles too, sharing his same feelings, his same hopes.

Their relationship is proceeding steadfastly well and even though they still haven’t done _that_ , the signs are all there and she knows it’s only a matter of time before they will become one with their bodies too.

Well. She is starting to sound like him.

Sahuna promised her she would introduce her to the other mothers and their children during her next visit and she is looking forward to that. She wants to meet Jaal’s nephews and nieces and see how cute angara kids are.

It would also be… educational. Useful for the future. Because if their future really is going to be much better than the present, full of promises and safety, then there might be good probabilities of settling down with Jaal and…

And she _wants_ it. She wants to form a family with him. And even though she has no idea whether the Ama Darav family would accept her – an alien - as a new mother, hell, she is more than willing to become one and pamper all the kids and teenagers of the house.

She pictures Jaal and herself as the relatives of other kids and her heart sings. Then she imagines Jaal and herself as _parents_ – adoptive, biological, it doesn’t matter – and her heart starts a full musical number.

Oh, she is so deep into it.

She knows it’s still too soon – Heleus is still a dangerous place, she still has many things to start and finish as Pathfinder, and both she and Jaal are pretty young. However, she can see how serious their relationship is and there is no doubt in her mind that the future has _a lot_ of beautiful things in store for them.

It’s refreshing to have such a great, positive certainty, for once.

He’s thinking the same thing, she can see it and feel it through his bioelectricity, and their feelings for each other are _strong and clear_ , just like he is, just like the Resistance and the angara in general are.

His smile widens and he rubs his nose against hers, an affectionate gesture he learned from one of the vids Liam sent him.

He opens his mouth to say something – and Chloe is sure the whole outpost, the whole planet, the entire _universe_ stop for a second to hear him -, when Bradley, the only one who clearly didn’t stop, interrupts them.

“Pathfinder! Good to see you again!”

She yelps and turns to where the mayor is standing: on the stairs, right next to the open door leading into the building they need to visit. He’s grinning, hands on his hips.

“Nice to see you too, Jaal.”

“Hello.” Jaal says, nodding at the man. He is polite as always, but she can see the slight annoyance in his eyes for having been interrupted. He was going to tell her something _really_ important, then.

“Here for the baby?” Bradley continues, pointing at the door with his thumb. “That little bundle of joy has caught more attention from the Nexus than our discoveries here on Eos.”

“Really?” she chuckles, before clearing her throat. She and Jaal are still hugging each other and even though it would better to pull away and talk normally to Bradley, she really can’t bring herself to move away from Jaal.

He clearly has no intention of letting her go, either. At least Bradley doesn’t seem to care about it, even though she can hear some of the colonists giggle and snort.

“I told Kennedy she should start selling tickets. With the kid and Liam’s soccer tournament, Podromos would become one hell of a tourist trap.”

Right then, a loud cry echoes in the outpost, coming straight from the house. It’s the unmistakable, distressed wailing of a newborn and someone swears, before being scolded for doing so.

“Not in front of the baby!”

“Shit, sorry, ma’am! Oh, damn…”

“Kosta!” Bradley roars, glaring into the room. “Stop teaching the kid bad words!”

“I’m not, I swear it!”

The wailing gets louder, probably because everyone is shouting, and Jaal snorts, shaking his head, while Chloe lets out a heavy, long sigh.

“We should get in.” she says, kissing her boyfriend’s cheek, the one where the scar is, and he agrees with a nod of his head and a sweet smile.

They pull away, but the first thing they do before entering the building with Bradley is taking each other’s hand again.

 

\- - - -

 

Dr. Kennedy is lulling the child, showing Liam how to correctly hold him; the ex-cop stands there, looking at the child with an ashamed, guilty expression on his face, which breaks into another grin when little David finally calms down and starts gurgling.

“Oh, Pathfinder!” Kennedy exclaims softly as she sees Ryder and Jaal enter. She glances at their hands for a second, before looking back at Chloe with a proud smile. “Here is my little champion.”

Chloe hears Jaal hold his breath as they approach and she would be lying if she said she didn’t do the same.

The first human baby of Heleus, safe and sound thanks to her team and Dr. Kennedy’s courage, which Addison would rather call stubbornness, but who cares.

He is beautiful. Wrapped in a white cloth, he has fallen asleep. One of his tiny hands, closed into a fist, is peeking out from the blanket and Chloe coos softly, poking it with a finger.

“Oh my God, he is so cute!” Warmth spreads in her chest and her cheeks start hurting, because she is smiling _a lot_. “Really, Dr. Kennedy, he is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.”

“Damn right, he is.” the woman laughs, leaning in to press a light kiss on his forehead, and the little one makes a tiny, funny sound, but doesn’t wake up.

Chloe glances at Jaal, wishing to ask him what he thinks about the child: he’s staring at him and his look is almost as intense as the one he gave her before.

His eyes are so big they seem to take all the space on his face and they follow every movement, every twitch of the baby.

There is a deep rumbling sound coming from his chest, one she recognizes as the one he usually makes when he’s deep in thought, tinkering with something he’s trying to understand.

“Isn’t he adorable?” she asks him, rubbing her thumb on his hand, and he nods quickly. When he smiles – an awed smile that illuminates his face, even the whole room –, her heart skips a bit.

She imagines him making that face while watching their children and she nearly combusts on the spot.

“Want to hold him?” Kennedy asks her and before she can prepare herself, there is a mewling baby in her arms, warm and soft like a petal.

She adjusts her arms to hold his delicate neck better and the mother chuckles appreciatively at that.

“Either you are a natural or you handled your fair share of babies in the past.” She glares at Liam, whose shoulders slump. “Kosta here almost dropped him on the ground.”

“Oh, come on, now!”

“You are so cute.” Chloe coos, brushing a fingertip against David’s cheek, a feather-light touch that makes him gurgle again. He’s still sleeping, though, and she lulls him a bit.

“Yes, you are.” she continues. “The cutest human in the galaxy. Welcome to Heleus, little David.”

She taps his nose, gently, and it seems to her that the baby is smiling, although it could just be an effect of the light in the room.

“Uh, Ryder?” Liam chuckles. “I think you broke Jaal.”

She looks at her boyfriend and sees that he’s staring again: he looks _enthralled_ and the awe on his face is so strong, so _much_ , she blushes and laughs, looking back at the baby.

She feels… flattered. Jaal is looking at her like she is the most gorgeous sight in the world and she doesn’t know how to react to that.

“Would you like to hold him, too?” Kennedy asks him, a knowing smile on her lips. Jaal gasps and straightens his back, tense like the strings of a violin.

“May I?” he whispers, incredulous, and the woman laughs and motions him to take the baby.

“Here.” Chloe smiles, handing him David and showing him how to hold him. “Raise his head like this… Good. Now put your other hand here.”

Jaal’s hands are big and large and the small bundle of joy looks even smaller in them. But he is holding David with the utmost delicateness and care and his smile is the kindest smile she has ever seen.

“So light.” he murmurs, before tracing the baby’s brow with his gloved index finger. “And soft.”

David gurgles and wraps his minuscule hand around Jaal’s finger. Chloe’s heart stops: Jaal is already a beautiful, handsome, marvelous man, but with a baby in his arms? He is absolutely perfect.

There are people who look good only with a gun or sniper rifle in their hands, others who would never be able to even lift one without looking funny.

Then there are those special people who can kill, plan attacks on enemy bases, and plunge a knife deep into someone’s chest, but also hold children with all the love and care in the world without looking ridiculous or awkward.

Jaal is one of those special people, just like all angara, and she feels so lucky to be in his presence right now, so lucky to be able to witness this. It’s a gift the world is giving her, like a painting, a masterpiece meticulously crafted by a talented artist.

She nearly starts recording this, but her eyes just don’t want to move: she can’t stop looking at his smile, at the tender look in his eyes, at the way he completely surrenders his finger to little David.

“You are a little star. Soon you will illuminate the sky for your people. You are a very special gift.” he says, swaying a little, and David seems to agree with a high-pitched noise.

It means he’s awake; in fact, after a few moments, he opens his eyes and sets them on Jaal, who beams at him.

“Here you are!” He taps his nose like Chloe did. “I’m Jaal Ama Darav. My _taoshay_ and I saved you and your mother on Voeld.”

“Jaal, he can’t understand that.” Liam chuckles, still not daring to approach the baby again, but at least he’s looking at him from the wall he’s leaning on.

“His soul can! It’s important to talk to babies.” Jaal fixes the blanket around David’s head, adding: “That was Liam Kosta. A wonderful, strange friend. He is a human just like you.”

“Aw, thanks, bro!”

He turns to Chloe, who is watching the scene with her mouth hanging open.

Jaal would be a _fantastic father_.

“Darling One!” he laughs, taking her hand and pulling her into a one-sided hug; he doesn’t even need two arms to hold David correctly and when he rests his hand on her waist, she can feel how happy he is.

His internal current is running fast, but she realizes he’s keeping it under control to avoid hurting or bothering the baby. He immediately remembered he’s not an angara and acted accordingly, mindful of the little one’s different biology.

Her heart sings and she slides an arm around his waist too.

“You are…” she murmurs, before smiling at him and concluding: “You are really good at this.”

“I have many nieces and nephews. I grew up with babies all around me.” he chuckles, kissing her head. Then he turns to David again: “This is Chloe Ryder, my _taoshay_! That means ‘ _Darling One_ ’ or ‘ _girlfriend_ ’ or ‘ _beloved_ ’ in your language, little star.” His chest swells with pride. “She is the human Pathfinder. She can heal worlds, you know?”

David stars slobbering on a corner of his blanket, but that only makes Jaal smile more.

“She is the most perfect creature in the universe.” he continues and she giggles, hiding her face against his Rofjinn. “Incredibly brave, kind, and brilliant! She brings joy and life wherever she goes, a deity of renewal and joy covering the ground with flowers.”

“Wow.” Bradley smiles, raising an eyebrow. “I should take romance advice from you, boy.”

“And the funny thing is that he’s not joking. He literally talks to Ryder like this all the time and he means it all.” Liam adds, shaking his head with a grin. “It’s both embarrassing and adorable at the same time.”

“Ignore them.” Jaal grumbles, still talking with the child. “Liam thinks he’s funny, but he rarely is.”

“Oi, rude!”

“Look at her, little star. Look how beautiful she is.” He slightly raises David’s head by moving his arm and the kid’s eyes seem to focus on Chloe’s smile, although his sight isn’t much strong yet.

“Hi again!” she says, tickling his belly with a finger, making him gurgle happily. “Isn’t my Jaal awesome?”

Jaal laughs and rubs her waist and the small of her back with his broad, warm hand.

They keep talking to the baby like that, holding each other, until Kennedy makes a funny sound and says, a hand on her cheek and an incredulous smile on her face:

“Damn, Pathfinder. You would be pretty good parents, you know? Seeing you two like this, it almost looks like David is _your_ son, not mine.”

That makes them blush so much everyone notices and starts laughing. Jaal mumbles something shyly, on his face the same expression he had while his mother complimented his qualities to Chloe.

She is going to die again and she even asks SAM on their private channel if her heart is still beating or about to stop soon.

“Your heart is working perfectly fine, although the speed of your heartbeat has increased alarmingly. Do you want me to do something about it?”

“No.” she tells him, grateful that her mental voice won’t break like her physical one. “It’s okay. Thanks, SAM.”

“I agree with Dr. Kennedy. According to my calculations and estimated data, you and Jaal would prove to be affectionate, loving parents.” A pause, during which Chloe is _sure_ she is dying. “No matter the number of children.”

Despite her heart threatening to explode, a huge smile spreads on her face and she watches Jaal give the child back to Kennedy with a surge of love thundering in her soul.

She smiles at him when he looks at her and he smiles back, face still flushed, and their hands look for each other.

They observe in silence as Liam tries to take the baby again, helped by Kennedy and Bradley, and together they dream of the future where they will hold their little stars together.

**Author's Note:**

> I was so looking forward to see Dr. Kennedy and her son David on Eos, but when I got on Podromos, they were nowhere to be found and I realized Bioware had trolled me again ;_;
> 
> So I decided to write my Chloe Ryder and Jaal's meeting with the baby. I guess it would be an interesting and fantastic experience for Jaal, especially considering how _happy_ he is when you save Dr. Kennedy and her family on Voeld. A new life is born and he is overjoyed, no matter what species the child belongs to.
> 
> Also this was an excuse to write: 
> 
> \- Jaal with a baby
> 
> \- Jaal and Chloe's dreams about their future family
> 
> \- Jaal with a baby
> 
> \- Liam being a sweetheart
> 
> \- did I say Jaal with a baby?
> 
> Also, sorry for any typos, English is not my first language!


End file.
